Photography



p 19, 1939. F. w. JACKMAN 2,173,518

PHOTOGRAPHY Original Filed April 4, 1936 FIE-"1.1.

inn?

E UDUUUUCI 1 'hcnnrnnuuunuuuu )uuuncnuunq INVENT OR. FEED Ml JAC/(MA/V ATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 19, 1939 PHOTOGRAPHY Fred W. Jackman, Beverly Hills, Califl, assignor to Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Original application April 4, 1936, Serial No. 72,735. Divided and this application April 9, 1937, Serial No. 135,983

2 Claims.

This invention relates to the art of photography and has particular reference to amethod of producing trick films.

This is a divisional application of application Serial No. 72,735, filed April 4, 1936 for Double camera.

One object ofthe present invention is to show successive tonal changes of a scene, particularly the action components of the scene, on a motion picture film while preserving the continuity of the action. This is accomplished by simultaneously photographing the scene upon a pair of motion picture films from effectively the same point of view while interposing a color filter between at least one of the films and the scene being photographed so as to obtain two films having pictures of identical size and shape but of different tonal values. In a subsequent cutting operation the selected portion of 'one film is intercut or substituted for a corresponding portion of another film. Preferably the object or scene being photographed is in two complementary colors, in which case each film will have in front thereof a color filter complementary to one of 'said complementary colors.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of an arrangement for producing trick pictures in accordance with the present invention.

Figs. 2 and 3 show sections of developed film which were exposed in a double camera arrangement shown in Fig, 1.

Fig. 4 shows a composite film produced from the films shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

Referring now to Fig. 1, the double camera arrangement comprises two cinematographic camera units diagrammatically indicated at 5 and 6 having their optical axes intersecting each other at right angles.

The camera unit 5 comprises an objective lens 1, a filter 8 adapted to absorb substantially all but red colored light rays passing therethrough, and a light sensitive cinematographic film ll! obviously sensitive to red light. The camera unit 6 comprises an objective lens H, a filter l2 adapted to absorb substantially all but blue colored rays of light passing therethrough, and a light sensitive cinematographic film l3 obviously sensitive to blue light. Suitable pull down mechanisms, well known in the art, (not shown) are provided to synchronously and intermittently move the films Ill and i3 across the optical axes of the respective camera units 5 and.

,A semi-transparent mirror I4 is positioned at the intersection of the optical axes of camera units 5 and 6 and bisects the angle formed by these two axes to reflect a portion of the image beam 15 incident thereon through the lens 1 of camera 5 while permitt equal portion of the image b ing a substantially eam I 5 to be transmitted therethrough into the lens I I of camera unit 6.

The position of the camera units 5 and 6 and the. semi-transparent mirror It, and the adjustment of the lenses 1 and II are such that images of identical size and shape but of different tonal 7 values are simultaneously i two films I0 and I3.

mpressed upon the The action to be photographed is shown by way of example as an actor l6 who performs before a plain, nonactinic field of the image rays l5. be illuminated by lamps (not photographed.

The actor is arranged in colors, namely, red and -blu backing I! in the The actor I6 may shown) while being two complementary e, corresponding to the red and blue filters 8 and I2 respectively. For example, the actors face and a boutonniere or similar object worn by him may be colored red, while his coat and hat may be colored blue.

When the double camera photograph the action or ac unit is operated to tor Hi, the films Hi and 13 are exposed in synchronism so that the film ill will have exposed thereon only those portions of the actor or action which have been colored red, while the film I thereon only those portions tion which have been colored blue.

3 will have exposed of the actor or ac- Thus, two

films of the same sequence of kinematic phases of action will be obtained having complementary tonal values thereon.

The film I 3' at a certain point in the action, for example, at IT may be intercut at the same point on the action with a corresponding sac cessive portion l8 of the film Hi. This intercutting will produce a film l4 showing successive ent filters in the two camer a units or cameras,

respectively, the above mentioned tonal or color change may also be accomplished by photographing with a filter in one camera and without a filter in the other.

Desired portions of 1. The method of producing a cinematographic picture showing a tonal change of successive kinematic phases of action which comprises arranging portions of said action in different colors, simultaneously photographing said action upon two cinematographic films while suppressing the color value of one of said different colors as photographed upon one of said films,' and preparing a cinematographic picture by conjoining successive images of a portion of said action on one of said films wherein said color value is suppressed with successive images of a succeeding portion of said action on the other of said films wherein said color value is not suppressed.

ors as photographed on the other of said films,

and preparing a cinematographic picture by conjoining successive images of a portion of said action on one of said films wherein one of said color values is suppressed with successive images of a succeeding portion of said action on the other of said films wherein the other of said color values is suppressed.

FRED W. JACKMAN. 

